


Endings and Beginnings

by Historical_Fangirl



Series: Crutchie and Jennie [9]
Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bittersweet Ending, Blindness, F/M, Family, Major Illness, Married Life, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-03-17 08:34:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18961660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Historical_Fangirl/pseuds/Historical_Fangirl
Summary: Jennie and Crutchie thought that their troubles were over, but lately, it seems that their lives are one hardship after another.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well, here it is. The last work in this series. But as I said, Crutchie and Jennie will likely appear in other stories I write. This is not the end of them.
> 
> This story takes place in April of 1911. Faith is 4, and Crutchie and Jennie are both about 27.
> 
> A brief warning for this first chapter, there is referenced death. If that bothers you, I would recommend skipping the first few paragraphs.

_ April 1911 _

 

It was raining. That was what Jennie focused on as she stood in the cemetery, soaked from head to toe. Crutchie stood just behind her, holding an umbrella over himself and Faith, who clung to his leg. He tried to hold it over Jennie too, but she moved just out of his reach each time until he eventually gave up.

 

Jennie liked the feeling of the rain. The cold wetness grounded her and made her feel safe, as did the feeling of Crutchie and Faith standing just behind her and Miriam standing next to her.

 

Sofia was in front of her. Or, more accurately, Sofia’s grave was in front of her. Jennie read the words engraved on the small headstone, again and again, still just as unable to process them as she had been when the news of Sofia’s death first reached her a week earlier.

 

_ Sofia Alessandra Rossi. 1889-1911. _

 

Jennie still couldn’t believe it. After the strike, Sofia had gone back to work at the Triangle Factory, believing that things would be at least slightly better for her and the other workers. Miriam, however, had decided to take a job at a smaller factory closer to her family’s apartment. It had turned out to be one of the best decisions of her life, and one of the worst decisions of Sofia’s.

 

Jennie suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Crutchie standing next to her. “Time to go, darlin’. It’s over now.” His voice was quiet and soft, and his eyes were full of sympathy.

 

Jennie nodded mutely, taking Faith’s hand to ensure that the four-year-old girl didn’t get lost. Crutchie once again held his umbrella over her head, and this time she didn’t move away. The trio walked to the closest trolly stop in silence, each of them somehow understanding that there was nothing more to be said.

 

~

 

The next morning Jennie woke to the sound of Crutchie and Faith in the kitchen, eating breakfast. She groaned and turned over in bed, intending to go right back to sleep, but the snippets of conversation she could hear made her rethink that decision.

 

“Come on, finish your breakfast an’ then we can do something nice,” Crutchie said.

 

“I ain’t hungry!” Faith whined in response.

 

“Why not? What’s the matter?”

 

“My throat hurts.”

 

Jennie felt like groaning again when she heard that. If Faith had a sore throat it meant she was likely getting sick, and Jennie knew from experience that that meant Crutchie would soon get sick as well and she’d be forced to look after both of them at the same time.

 

Slowly sitting up, Jennie got out of bed and wrapped a shawl around her shoulders. She didn’t feel like doing much of anything, but she wasn’t about to leave Crutchie to take care of a sick toddler by himself.

 

“Oh, mornin’,” Crutchie said when Jennie entered the kitchen. “You hear Faith?”

 

“Yes.” Jennie leaned over Faith and pressed a light kiss to her forehead, frowning when she felt that it was warmer than usual. “She’s definitely running a temperature.”

 

“Great.” Crutchie also knew just as well as Jennie what the next few days would look like. “You want I should call Davey? Ask him to have a look at her?”   
  


“I don’t think it’s that serious. Probably just the flu.” Jennie smiled sympathetically at Faith. “You don’t feel well, honey?”

 

“No.” Faith shook her head, then reached her chubby arms towards Jennie.

 

Jennie picked Faith up, cradling her head against her chest and swaying back and forth gently. “Tell you what. Papa will tuck you in, and then I’ll be in to read you a story, alright? Any story you want.”

 

“Want Papa to tell me the newsie story,” Faith mumbled sleepily, Jennie’s movements soothing her.

 

Jennie looked over at Crutchie apologetically. So much for avoiding contagion.

 

Crutchie grinned at Faith. “‘Course I’ll do that, darlin’. Anythin’ for you.”

 

~

 

About an hour later Crutchie exited the bedroom and sat down at the kitchen table with a grunt. Jennie was in the parlor staring out the window, lost in thought, but she looked over when she heard him. “How is she?”

 

“Asleep, for now,” Crutchie replied. He smiled reassuringly at Jennie. “I feel fine, just so you know.”   
  


“You feel fine now. But experience has taught me that that usually doesn’t last.” Jennie slowly stood up and walked over to Crutchie, kissing him on the forehead in much the same way that she had done with Faith. “No fever yet. That’s good.”

 

“Yeah.” Crutchie looked across the room and sighed softly.

 

Jennie frowned. “What’s wrong?”

 

“Just… there’s somethin’ about Faith. How she’s actin’. More subdued than normal. You know her, even when she’s sick she talks a mile a minute.” Crutchie shook his head. “Sorry. Ignore me, I’se probably just overreactin’.”

 

“No. If you think something’s wrong, I’ll ask Davey to come and take a look at her. I have to go and get some groceries this afternoon anyway,” Jennie said. “Will you be alright with her for an hour or two?”

 

“Yeah, that’s fine.” Crutchie nodded. He looked up at Jennie tenderly and stroked her cheek gently. “You don’t gotta worry.”

  
Jennie leaned down and kissed Crutchie again, this time on the lips. “I’ll always worry about you, you  _ leathcheann _ . Always.”


	2. Chapter 2

“How is she?” Jennie asked as Davey exited Faith’s bedroom, gently closing the door behind himself.

 

“She’s fine, for right now. I think she was about to fall asleep when I left.”

 

“Do ya know what’s wrong with her?” Crutchie asked, taking Jennie’s hand. They both looked at Davey worriedly.

 

Davey nodded. “It’s measles. She has a sore throat and a fever, and when I looked inside her mouth I saw small white spots on her cheeks. Those symptoms match up perfectly.”

 

Jennie relaxed ever so slightly. “Well, at least we know neither of us will get it. I’ve had it, and so has Charlie.”

 

“Most adults have, myself included,” Davey said. “But I’ll tell Jack and Katherine about it on my way home today. I don’t think Eddie or Clara has had it yet, and if they’ve been playing with Faith recently-”

 

“Then they’re next.” Jennie finished, nodding in understanding. “Please tell them we’re sorry, I’d never have let Faith go out if I’d known.”

 

Davey smiled reassuringly. “I wouldn’t worry about that. If it wasn’t from Faith they’d probably have gotten it from someone else sooner or later. Measles spreads fast.”   
  


“So, is there anythin’ we can do?” Crutchie asked. “Ya know, other than lookin’ after her?”

 

“I would advise making sure she gets plenty of rest and doesn’t strain her eyes too much,” Davey replied. “Give her warm tea and broth for her sore throat and aspirin for her fever. Other than that, just keep her occupied. She should be on the mend in a week or so.”

 

“Thank you so much, Davey. I’m sorry to have asked you here on such short notice,” Faith said, taking his hand appreciatively. “The next time we invite you over will be for a real visit, I promise.”

 

“I’ll hold you to that.” Davey picked up his bag and shrugged his coat on. “If you need me again, for any reason, you know where to find me.”

 

Crutchie reached out and shook Davey’s hand. “You’s a real pal. Thanks again.”

 

~

 

That night, both Crutchie and Jennie sat by Faith’s bedside. She was asleep again, having only woken up a few times to drink some tea or have a story read to her. Adding to that the fact that her temperature had risen somewhat in that time, and Jennie was getting worried.

 

“Are you sure we shouldn’t do anything more? Give her a bath to try and bring her fever down, or something?” she asked.

 

“Let her sleep for now,” Crutchie said. “Her fever ain’t too high, an’ it’s late anyway. We can do all that if she’s worse tomorrow.”

 

“Okay.” Jennie leaned her head against Crutchie’s shoulder, smiling as he wrapped his arm around her. “I’m glad I don’t have to look after both of you.”

 

Crutchie chuckled softly. “You’ve done enough of that to last a lifetime, darlin’.”

 

Jennie hummed in agreement, her eyes beginning to slip closed. “I’ll always look after you,” she mumbled sleepily. “I promised, remember?”

 

“Yeah, I remember.” Crutchie kissed the top of Jennie’s head and leaned his chin on top of it, her dark hair tickling his face. “I love ya. So much.”   
  


“Love you too,” Jennie replied, slipping further into sleep. “Always.”

 

~

 

Jennie woke up the next morning in her own bed, still in her clothes from the day before. Evidently, Crutchie had carried her to bed and tucked her in, though how he had accomplished such a feat Jennie didn’t know. Even after being married to him for seven years, he still managed to amaze her with his capability.

 

Rolling out of bed Jennie straightened and stretched her stiff neck, trying her best to shake off the mantle of sleep which still clung to her and made everything seem distorted and fuzzy. It was after she did this that she heard footsteps approaching the room, and Crutchie poked his head in the doorway.

 

“Good, you’s awake. Faith’s askin’ for ya. I told her you’d be in to see her.”   
  


“Of course I will.” Jennie quickly wrapped a shawl around her shoulders and tucked the loose strands of hair framing her face back into her bun. “Will you make breakfast?”

 

“Sure,” Crutchie said. “You want anythin’ specific?”

 

“Something edible,” Jennie said as she went to look after Faith. “That’s all I ask.”

 

~   
  


“Mama!” Faith cried happily when Jennie entered the room. “Mama!”

 

“Hello, my little one.” Jennie’s voice was warm and loving as she sat down on the end of Faith’s bed and reached out a hand to feel her forehead. “How are you feeling?”

 

“Icky,” Faith said, sniffling as if to emphasize the point.

 

Jennie could understand that. The tell-tale red rash had already broken out in splotches across Faith’s face, and her eyes were puffy and red. She looked thoroughly miserable.

 

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” Jennie frowned sympathetically. “Do you want breakfast?”

 

Faith shook her head. “Want a story.”

 

“A story? Well, alright then. Did you ever hear about the princess locked in a tower by a cruel witch?”

 

“No.” Faith was immediately riveted.

 

“Once upon a time, there was a young woman who lived in a small village with her husband. An old witch lived next door to them. One day…” Jennie’s gentle voice soothed Faith, and soon she found herself falling asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel the need to say that Faith will eventually be alright, I would never kill her off or anything like that. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please leave comments and kudos, tell me what you think of this so far, and let me know what you think will happen next.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am back with the latest chapter. Things are beginning to really pick up now.

The next day Crutchie had to go back to work, though he promised to return just as soon as he could get away. This meant that Jennie was essentially on her own when it came to caring for an ever-sicker Faith.

 

“Hot,” Faith mumbled in her half-asleep state, as Jennie wiped her forehead with a cool cloth.

 

“I know, my little one. You’ll be alright soon.” Jennie prayed that this was true and that Faith’s temperature didn’t spike anymore. She wondered if she should go to Davey’s office and ask him to come back, but who would look after Faith if she did that? Jennie wasn’t about to leave her child alone for longer than a minute while she was like this.

 

Just as Jennie was pondering how best to look after Faith, a soft knock sounded at the front door. Looking at Faith, who had calmed down and now looked to be sleeping peacefully, Jennie sighed. She planted a soft kiss on Faith’s forehead, then got up to answer the door.

 

When Jennie opened the door a crack, the first thing she caught sight of was a familiar hat. She swung the door open wider, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Mam?”

 

Jennie’s mother smiled. “How’s my little girl?”

 

Jennie could have cried in relief. She pulled her mother in for a hug. “Tired. Mam, why are you here?”

 

“To look after my daughter and granddaughter, of course. Charlie came to see me on his way to work this morning. He said you were looking after Faith all alone, and he’d feel better if someone came to help you today.”

 

“Oh, you couldn’t have come at a better time.” Jennie grinned and stepped aside, allowing her mother to enter the apartment. “I was just wondering what to do.”

 

“How can I help?”

 

“I think Faith needs a doctor. Will you look after her while I go?” Jennie asked, already untying the apron she had been wearing.

 

“Certainly. Is it that serious?” Mrs. Ryan asked.

 

Jennie nodded, trying her best to remain composed. She knew if she fell apart now, it wouldn’t be easy to put herself back together. “I think so… I at least want to see if there’s anything more to be done for Faith.”

 

“Go on, then. I’ll be fine here,” Jennie’s mother said, bustling towards the bedroom with the confident air of someone who had nursed her fair share of sick children before.

 

Jennie didn’t need more urging. She grabbed her bag and hurried out the door, hoping that Davey wasn’t too busy to look at Faith.

 

~

 

When Jennie returned to the apartment Davey was with her, visibly concerned and ready to help in any way he could. Almost as soon as they had stepped through the front door, Jennie’s mother was in front of them. She looked about as panicked as Jennie had ever seen her. “Thank goodness you’re here. Her fever’s gone up.”

 

“Show me.” Davey’s voice sounded almost robotic, the way it always became when something serious was happening. 

 

Jennie hurried after him and her mother, her heart pounding in her chest.  _ Please God, let Faith be alright. Please… _

 

Faith’s skin was flushed pink under the rash which covered her whole body, and her breathing had become fast and shallow. Davey quickly pulled a thermometer out of his bag and put it in Faith’s mouth, one hand resting on her forehead. Jennie and Mrs. Ryan waited with bated breath.

 

Davey bit back a curse when he saw Faith’s temperature. “104.3 degrees. Do you have a bathtub?”

 

“There’s one in the shared bathroom down the hall,” Jennie offered, her voice shaking ever so slightly.

 

“Good. Go there now and run a cold bath. We need to get her temperature down.” As Davey spoke he pulled back the covers and carefully lifted Faith into his arms. She moaned slightly and her eyes fluttered, but otherwise, she showed no signs of knowing what was happening.

 

Jennie practically sprinted out of the door, wrenching the bathroom door open when she reached it. Thankfully it was unoccupied, and she turned the cold water on and filled the tub.

 

Davey entered the bathroom soon after, and, kneeling beside it, lowered Faith into the water. “There… make sure her head stays above water.”

 

Jennie’s mother handed Davey his bag and the thermometer he had used earlier, and he wiped it off before sticking it back into Faith’s mouth. Jennie glued her eyes to the little red line, willing it to go down. “Please, please, please…”

 

After what seemed like an eternity, Davey took the thermometer out of Faith’s mouth and nodded. “100.2 degrees. We can take her out now.”

 

With Davey’s help, Faith was taken back to Crutchie and Jennie’s apartment with minimal trouble. Jennie took off her wet nightgown and dried her skin using a towel, then dressed her in clean clothes and tucked her back into bed.

 

It was after all of this had happened that Faith finally began to wake up, her eyelids fluttering as she tried to open them. “Mama?”

 

“I’m right here, little one,” Jennie said, taking Faith’s hand. “Right here.”   
  


“‘M thirsty.”

 

Jennie almost laughed at Faith’s matter-of-fact statement. “I’ll get you something to drink, then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not quite the end of the story, we have a little more to go. I hope everyone enjoyed this! Please leave comments and let me know what you thought of this chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took me a long time to get right, and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. In any case, I hope everyone enjoys this.

By the next morning, Faith’s fever had broken completely. Jennie and Crutchie were extremely relieved, understandably ecstatic that their child would be fine.

 

But as the days progressed and Faith became well enough to get out of bed for hours at a time and play with her toys, both Jennie and Crutchie noticed something odd. Faith would often rub at her eyes, blinking heavily as if she had just woken up. She also squinted when she looked at things, including objects right in front of her. It was becoming glaringly obvious that she was having trouble seeing.

 

“Charlie?” Jennie asked one evening as she watched Faith play on the floor in the parlor. Her rash had almost completely disappeared, and they had been thinking about taking her out to the park in the next few days. “What do you think we should do about Faith?”

 

Crutchie looked up from the newspaper he had been reading and looked over at Faith, sighing a little. “I dunno, Jennie. It didn’t seem like it was anythin’ to worry about for a while, but now… somethin’s definitely wrong. I just ain’t sure what.”

 

“Neither am I,” Jennie said. “But I think that we should ask someone about it. Take her to a doctor, or something. Just to find out what’s going on.”

 

“Okay,” Crutchie nodded in agreement. “We can do that.”

 

~

 

The chairs Jennie and Crutchie were sitting in were as hard as rocks and the waiting room was crowded and badly lit, but everything seemed to be as clean as it could be. And besides, they both trusted Davey so completely that they felt they had no choice but to trust any doctor he referred them to as well. 

 

Faith was in Jennie’s lap, her hand in her mouth as she stared off into space. Not for the first time, Jennie wondered if her daughter truly knew what was happening to her or could even recognize something was wrong. A word floated around in the back of Jennie’s mind, but she quickly pushed it away. She wouldn’t think it until everything was certain.

 

A young man in a white coat walked into the waiting room just then, his eyes scanning the patients. “Morris?”

 

Jennie stood up, Crutchie doing the same. “That’s us.”   
  


The man, whose name was apparently Doctor Miller, smiled kindly at them. “Please, follow me.”

 

They were led into a small back room which looked to function as both an exam room and an office. At Doctor Miller’s direction, Jennie carefully placed Faith on the exam table. Crutchie took a seat in the only other available chair, watching everything carefully.

 

“Well then. Doctor Jacobs tells me you’re here about your daughter’s eyesight?” Doctor Miller asked.

 

“Yeah, yeah we are,” Crutchie said. “Seems to be gettin’ worse, we just wanted to see what was goin’ on.”

 

“Of course.” The other man nodded. Then he turned to Faith, the same kind smile gracing his features once again. “Hello, Miss. My name’s Doctor Miller, what’s yours?”

 

Faith looked down at her lap, rubbing at her eyes once again. “Faith,” she mumbled quietly.

 

“That’s a very pretty name. Now, your parents have told me they think you’re having some trouble with your eyes. Can you tell me about it?”

 

Faith fiddled with the embroidery on her dress, her feet swinging. She didn’t answer for a minute. Finally, she said, “They hurt.”

 

“I see.” Doctor Miller rested his hands inside the pockets of his coat. “Do they hurt badly?”

 

Faith nodded. Then she piped up once more. “Everythin’ looks fuzzy. And colors don’t make sense.”

 

“Hm. Well, I’m going to see if I can’t fix that. But to do that, I’ll need to look in your eyes with a special tool. Is that alright with you?”

 

Faith hesitated, looking to Jennie for guidance. Jennie smiled at her encouragingly, so Faith looked back up at Doctor Miller and nodded. “Okay.”

 

“Excellent.” He picked a small tool up from off of his desk, as well as a lamp. Lighting the lamp, Doctor Miller placed it beside Faith’s face and held the other object up to her eye. First one, and then the other.

 

When Doctor Miller had finished, he extinguished the lamp and smiled at Faith. “You did a very good job. Here.” He pulled a small peppermint candy out of his pocket, the wrapper crinkling. “This is to thank you for being so patient.”

 

Faith grinned happily, taking the candy and quickly jumping off the exam table to ask Crutchie to unwrap it for her. While she sucked on the candy, Jennie turned back to the doctor.

 

“Do you know what’s wrong?”

 

Doctor Miller nodded. “I believe so, yes.”

 

Crutchie hoisted Faith up onto his lap, looking concerned. “What is it?”

 

The doctor sighed, sitting down behind his small desk. “The exam I just performed seems to indicate that your daughter’s optic nerve has been damaged. You said she recently had measles?”

 

Jennie nodded. “Yes.”

 

“I believe that that is likely the cause of the damage, then,” Doctor Miller said.   
  


“So… can ya do anythin’ about it?” Crutchie asked.

 

“Well, there are some experimental surgeries we could try, but the success rate of those is limited. The condition will also sometimes reverse on its own, so there’s no guarantee that her vision loss will be permanent.”

 

“But it could be? And it could get worse?” Jennie could feel herself beginning to panic as she contemplated what he was telling her.

 

Doctor Miller hesitated slightly before he spoke. “Yes. It could be permanent, or get worse. Faith could very well go blind.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The measles virus can cause several different types of blindness. Faith has something called Optic Neuritis, which is when inflammation takes place that destroys the optic nerve. This often happens in people who have MS, but it can also occur as a result of measles. It often happens in one eye only, but it can also happen in both eyes (as is the case with Faith). Symptoms of Optic Neuritis are pain in the eyes, blurry vision, headaches, difficulty distinguishing certain colors, and vision loss. Episodes of optic neuritis often only cause temporary vision loss, but vision loss can be permanent in some cases.
> 
> Doctor Miller is completely fictional.
> 
> I tried to make my writing of this disease as medically accurate as possible (especially within the time period this takes place in) while also keeping it interesting and exciting for people to read.
> 
> I hope this chapter was enjoyed by people, and that it made sense and flowed well with the story. There is still one more chapter to go, so stay tuned for that. And in the meantime, feel free to leave comments and kudos on this story!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is it. The last chapter in the last story in my Crutchie and Jennie series. I hope everyone enjoys this!

Following their visit to Doctor Miller, both Jennie and Crutchie were unsure of what to do.

 

They both hoped Faith’s vision would improve or at least stop getting worse, but as the weeks passed both of them could see that her eyesight was worsening considerably. This led to the realization that sooner or later, they would have to explain what was going on to Faith. Because there was certainly no denying it anymore; Faith was going blind.

 

~   
  


At first, everything was normal. 

 

Faith herself seemed oblivious to everything beyond playing with her toys and eating, as most four-year-olds were. And both Jennie and Crutchie adapted their behavior to suit Faith’s needs, telling her where they were in a room as well as when they entered and exited it. Jack and Katherine did the same once the situation was explained to them, and Jennie even noticed Eddie mimicking some of those behaviors as well. All in all, there had been no major melt-downs from anyone. Things seemed to be going well.

 

Then, everything changed.

 

~

 

Crutchie knocked on the door to Jack and Katherine’s apartment early one evening. Faith had spent the day with them, playing with Eddie and Clara, and now it was time to pick her up and take her home for dinner.

 

After a few moments, the door opened to reveal a harried-looking Katherine. “I’m so glad you’re here. We have a bit of a... situation on our hands.”

 

When Crutchie entered the apartment he found Eddie and Faith sitting across from each other on the floor in the parlor, both of them with faces like thunder. He frowned at the scene in front of him. “What’s goin’ on?”

 

“What color is this?” Katherine asked, picking a blue rubber ball up off the side table.

 

“Uh, blue,” Crutchie responded.

 

“I  _ told _ ya!” Eddie cried triumphantly, pointing at Faith in a mocking way. “It ain’t green at all!”

 

“Eddie. Enough.” Katherine’s voice carried a distinct warning note. She turned to Crutchie. “Do you see what the problem is?”

 

“Yeah, I do.” Crutchie sighed. “Well, I’ll talk to her about it at home. C’mon Faith, it’s time to go.”

 

Faith gave an injured sniff, flouncing off to where Crutchie was standing and grabbing hold of his hand. Crutchie figured she’d picked up those airs from the one time she had gone to the Pulitzer’s for Eddie’s fifth birthday party. She definitely wasn’t exposed to them at home.

 

On the way home, Crutchie and Faith passed a small park. Crutchie tugged gently on Faith’s hand, leading her over to a small bench. “Let’s sit here a minute.”

 

The two of them sat in silence, Crutchie looking over at Faith. She was playing with the lace embroidery on her dress, running her fingers across it. Suddenly, she looked up at him. “What’s wrong with me?”

 

Crutchie started. He certainly hadn’t expected that question from Faith when he woke up that morning. “What?”

 

“I’se different than Eddie, an’ Aunt Katherine, an’ you. Why?” Faith asked.

 

“Well…” Crutchie searched frantically for the right words to say. He knew what he wanted to say to Faith, the question was how to say it properly. He cleared his throat, unsure of how best to begin.

 

“Ya know how I walk with a crutch,” Crutchie finally said after an awkward pause. It wasn’t a question, Faith had known that for as long as she could remember. It wasn’t exactly something you could hide, nor did Crutchie want to hide it.

 

“Mhmm.” Faith nodded.

 

“Did I ever tell ya that I didn’t always need one?”

 

Faith frowned, shaking her head this time. “No.”

 

“No? Alright then. When I was just a little older than you, I got sick,” Crutchie started.

 

“Like I was?” Faith interrupted.

 

“Kinda. Anyway, I was pretty sick so my parents called the doctor. Asked him to come an’ take a look at me.”

 

“Like Mama did with Uncle Davey?” Faith asked suddenly.

 

“Yeah, like that.” Crutchie lifted a finger to his lips. “Now, be quiet so I can finish the rest of my story. Okay, darlin’?”

 

“Okay,” Faith agreed, snuggling closer to him.

 

“When the doctor came to look at me, he said I had somethin’ called ‘infantile paralysis’,” Crutchie continued. “There ain’t no medicine for it, so there was nothin’ anybody could do about it.”

 

“What happened to you?”

 

“Well, I got better eventually. But one ‘a my legs got messed up because of that, so I couldn’t walk on it anymore. That’s how I got my crutch,” Crutchie explained, holding up the article in question as he spoke.

 

“Oh,” Faith said.

 

“Yeah. Now, do ya know why I just told ya all that?” Crutchie asked.

 

“Yes... “ Faith trailed off, then shook her head, obviously confused. “No.”

 

“No one else we know uses a crutch, do they?”

 

“No.” Faith still sounded unsure of what Crutchie was trying to say.

 

“So I’se different than them. But that don’t mean that there’s anythin’ wrong with me.”

 

“I… I guess not.” Faith cocked her head to one side. “So I’se like you? Different because I got sick?”

 

“Yeah.” Crutchie nodded. “But bein’ different ain’t a bad thing. Eddie doesn’t see stuff the same way you do, that’s true, but he ain’t better because of it. Just different.” Crutchie wrapped his arm around Faith. “Do ya get it?”

 

“Think so.” Faith brightened a bit. “So there isn’t anythin’ wrong with me?”

 

“No, darlin’. ‘Course not.” Crutchie planted a soft kiss on the top of Faith’s head. “You’se just gonna hafta do things a little bit different than other people, that’s all.”

 

Faith looked up at Crutchie, her eyes full of trust. “Will you help me, Papa?”

 

Crutchie tightened his grip on Faith. “Of course I will. Me an’ Mama will always help you, Faith. I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said in my notes in the previous chapter, Optic Neuritis can cause people to have difficulty distinguishing certain colors.
> 
> It has been almost 9 months since I first started this series, and now after 8 stories, I'm ending it. I hope everyone enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it, and I hope you thought that this story was a fitting conclusion.
> 
> I'm not sure what exactly I'll be writing next, but I do have several different ideas (and Crutchie and Jennie make cameos in some of them). If anyone has any suggestions for what they want to see me write next, please tell me! I definitely want to keep writing, and I certainly plan to. Thank you all so much for reading, commenting, and leaving kudos on these stories. I hope you will continue to, and I hope you will like whatever it is that I do next.

**Author's Note:**

> The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire occurred on March 25th, 1911. 146 garment workers died in the fire (123 women and 23 men). It is one of the deadliest industrial disasters in United States history.
> 
> Davey is a doctor, in case that wasn't clear. He graduated from medical school in the summer of 1909. He will appear more in the next few chapters.
> 
> Please leave comments and kudos, and tell me what you think of this story so far!


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